Lori Anne, as we reported earlier this week, is a precocious young girl who started reading at the age of 2 and was in her first spelling bee at the age of 3. Wednesday at the National Bee, she successfully spelled the first word she was given — dirigible. But in the next round, she began ingluvies with an "e" instead of an "i." That was enough to knock her out of the competition.

"ESPN reporter Samantha Steele was offered a chance to spell a word once the second round closed. ...

[Pronouncer Jacques] Bailly, the 1980 Scripps champion himself, gave Steele a word she was convinced was a nonsense word [slobberhannes]. Taken aback, she decided to enlist her fellow blond contestant. 'Lori Anne, could you help me out?' Steele said with a laugh. 'I can get a shout out, right?' ...

" I think it's a joke," Lori Anne told her, getting a chuckle from everyone . Steele, holding Lori Anne's hand, didn't get very far with the word, guessing 'S-C-H-L-A-U-B-E-R- ...' before her time was up."

The semifinals of the Bee are set for today, starting at 10 a.m. ET, on ESPN2. the finals are set for tonight at 8 p.m. ET, on ESPN. We're planning to follow the news in a fresh post this evening.

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.